What We Do

Soroptimist – Best for Women

Here is a list of a few of our community service projects.

Live Your Dream Awards

The Club provides grants to women who are head of household and pursuing an education or training program. This Soroptimist International of the Americas program also provides awards at regional and national levels.

Focus Projects

Domestic Violence – In cooperation with the Long Beach area shelters for victims of domestic violence, Club members assist by preparing gift bags for the children who accompany their mothers. The children have usually left their home without the opportunity to take any of their belongings. Contents of the bags are size and age appropriate for each individual boy or girl. The child receives a change of clothing, pajamas, books, school supplies, and possibly a toy.

Human Trafficking – We support the efforts of the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force to increase awareness and prevention of human trafficking and support services for survivors. Related website: Polaris Project

The survivors of human trafficking escape their handlers with nothing. Members donate and assemble backpacks for the survivors filled with personal items. The service provides practical, essential things as well as a message of caring.

The club has committed to help out at the Youth Exploitation Safety Symposium (YESS) event in Long Beach. This symposium will be informational and of value to parents, students and the community at large. Members of SILB regularly attend and participate in the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task force. The purpose is to cooperate with and learn from other organizations involved in fighting trafficking. For more information on joining our effort, check our calendar and/or blog for details.

Soroptimist Day of Success

For women who are entering or re-entering the workforce who need guidance and assistance with wardrobe, hair, and makeup. Soroptimist Club members donate job-appropriate clothing and work with a local non-profit, Women Helping Women, to provide a “day of success.” Participants pick out a job-appropriate wardrobe and have their hair and makeup done with support and encouragement from Club members. The Club also provides a resume writing and job interview workshop.

Gladdes B. Neff Soroptimist Scholarship Fund

Scholarships for students at California State University Long Beach in the last year of study for a degree in a health care field

Meals on Wheels of Long Beach

SILB established Meals on Wheels of Long Beach in 1971. The club supported it exclusively until it was incorporated in 1974 and became independent with its own board of directors and funding from grants and private donations.

Women’s Heart Health Resource Center

Our club made a $25,000 grant to St. Mary’s Medical Center to fund the new resource center and provide public awareness and public screenings for heart disease in the community of Long Beach, California. Promotes awareness, early detection, prevention, & follow-up treatment

Scholarships

Scholarships for students at Long Beach City College, California State University Long Beach, and Long Beach area high school students

Literacy

Donations of biographies of successful women to organizations that serve women and girls in the Long Beach area. The purpose, in addition to encouraging reading, is to introduce girls and women to a variety of career paths, to highlight the key factors which lead to success and what contributions they can make to society.

Soroptimist Women in Trades and Technology Center

SILB donated $25,000 to Long Beach City College for the development of its Women in Trades and Technology Center to encourage women to train for what had been considered non-traditional careers and study technology, trades, math, and science.